Anuradha Ghandy
Encyclopedia
Anuradha Ghandy was an India
n communist and Maoist leader. She was a member of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist. Maoists are also referred as naxalites in the media.
Anuradha was mostly involved in the propaganda wing and in penetration into urban areas. She was one of the founding members of the CPI
(ML), in Maharashtra.
Among the policy papers drafted by the Marxist movement, Anuradha had contributed significantly to the ones on castes and 'Feminism and Marxism'. She made the guerillas realise the potential of cooperatives in areas like improving agricultural production, in Dhandakaranya. She was also critical on the patriarchian ideas that were then dominant in the party.
Jyoti Punwani wrote : “The ‘Naxalite menace’, says Manmohan Singh, 'is the biggest threat to the country'. But I remember a girl who was always laughing and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others.” in her obituary for Anuradha, with whom she was friends with right from the days when the latter was still that bespectacled angry collegegoer of the 70s.
office in Mumbai. They were very progressive in the way they brought up their children, who would later grow to become revolutionaries. Anuradha's brother is a Mumbai
based noted play-wright, writing progressive plays and he is into the theatre scene. Anuradha did her schooling at J. B. Petit School, Santacruz. The children were exposed to varied views and ideas and were motivated to read a lot and develop their own interests, like classical dancing, theatre and such.
It was in such a household, very conductive to the communist ideas, where Anuradha would first get intrigued in politics during her college days. The prime period for the communist propagandas was the 1970s. A Cultural Revolution in China, the resilience of Vietnam to US and with many other social changes, the youth were fascinated with the changes that a revolution can bring. It was during this time that Naxalbari
came into being, torching the whole of South Asia. Anuradha was then involved with PROYOM, a radical students group.
, Mumbai, was a hub for the extremist left-wing activists in the 1970s. Anuradha played a prime role in them. What she saw in the refugee camps in war hit Bangladesh
and also the famine hit areas of Maharashtra
prior to that, must have brought her close to social work. Then she got into Progressive Youth Movement (PROYOM), from where she got connected to the then Naxalite
movement. She took part in the Dalit Panther
Movement(1975) and also in the Worli Riots(1974) with Shiv Sena.
She was one of the leading figures in India in the post-emergency days, when Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights was founded. Her interests in the trade unions and the dalit movements of the Vidarbha region led to her move from Mumbai
to Nagpur
, in 1982. She was arrested a number of times in this period, after which she went underground. There were mentions of her involvement with the tribals in Baster
. She was leading the women's wing of the Party, working underground, until her untimely death
Malaria
on April 12, 2008 . Systemic sclerosis, had weakened her immune system, leading to multiple organ failure, which was, among other things, responsible for her bad handwriting. During her final days, she had been training the women cadre to develop their leadership skills. It was during her stint in Jharkand, educating the tribals against oppression of women in their society, when she contracted cerebral malaria.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n communist and Maoist leader. She was a member of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist. Maoists are also referred as naxalites in the media.
Anuradha was mostly involved in the propaganda wing and in penetration into urban areas. She was one of the founding members of the CPI
CPI
A consumer price index is a measure of the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by householdsCPI may also stand for:*Central Port Injection, see fuel injection...
(ML), in Maharashtra.
Among the policy papers drafted by the Marxist movement, Anuradha had contributed significantly to the ones on castes and 'Feminism and Marxism'. She made the guerillas realise the potential of cooperatives in areas like improving agricultural production, in Dhandakaranya. She was also critical on the patriarchian ideas that were then dominant in the party.
Jyoti Punwani wrote : “The ‘Naxalite menace’, says Manmohan Singh, 'is the biggest threat to the country'. But I remember a girl who was always laughing and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others.” in her obituary for Anuradha, with whom she was friends with right from the days when the latter was still that bespectacled angry collegegoer of the 70s.
Early life
Anuradha was born to yester yearcommunists, Ganesh and Kumud Shanbag. The Shanbags were in the party till mid 1950s, when it had still not branched into the present Maoist and Marxist factions. Ganesh later got into the Defence committee, and volunteered in favour of communists in the cases filed against them. Kumud has been an active social worker all her life, who is at present involved with a women's group. In fact, they got married in the CPICPI
A consumer price index is a measure of the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by householdsCPI may also stand for:*Central Port Injection, see fuel injection...
office in Mumbai. They were very progressive in the way they brought up their children, who would later grow to become revolutionaries. Anuradha's brother is a Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
based noted play-wright, writing progressive plays and he is into the theatre scene. Anuradha did her schooling at J. B. Petit School, Santacruz. The children were exposed to varied views and ideas and were motivated to read a lot and develop their own interests, like classical dancing, theatre and such.
It was in such a household, very conductive to the communist ideas, where Anuradha would first get intrigued in politics during her college days. The prime period for the communist propagandas was the 1970s. A Cultural Revolution in China, the resilience of Vietnam to US and with many other social changes, the youth were fascinated with the changes that a revolution can bring. It was during this time that Naxalbari
Naxalbari
Naxalbari is the name of a village and a community development block in northern part of the state of West Bengal, India. Naxalbari block comes under the jurisdiction of Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district. Naxalbari became famous for the left wing revolt that took place in the late...
came into being, torching the whole of South Asia. Anuradha was then involved with PROYOM, a radical students group.
Personal life
Anuradha Shanbag married Kobad ghandy in 1983, who hails from a Gujarati Parsi family.Political career
Elphinstone CollegeElphinstone College
Elphinstone College is an institution of higher education affiliated to the University of Mumbai. Established in 1856, it is one of the oldest colleges of the University of Mumbai. It was exalted as a prestigious seat of learning during the British Raj and is generally observed for its vibrant alumni...
, Mumbai, was a hub for the extremist left-wing activists in the 1970s. Anuradha played a prime role in them. What she saw in the refugee camps in war hit Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and also the famine hit areas of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
prior to that, must have brought her close to social work. Then she got into Progressive Youth Movement (PROYOM), from where she got connected to the then Naxalite
Naxalite
The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
movement. She took part in the Dalit Panther
Dalit Panther
Dalit Panther is a social organization, founded by Namdev Dhasal in April 1972 in Mumbai. Later on many dalit activists joined this organization...
Movement(1975) and also in the Worli Riots(1974) with Shiv Sena.
She was one of the leading figures in India in the post-emergency days, when Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights was founded. Her interests in the trade unions and the dalit movements of the Vidarbha region led to her move from Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
to Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, in 1982. She was arrested a number of times in this period, after which she went underground. There were mentions of her involvement with the tribals in Baster
Baster
The Basters are the descendants of Cape Colony Dutch and indigenous African women. They largely live in Namibia and are similar to Coloured or Griqua people in South Africa....
. She was leading the women's wing of the Party, working underground, until her untimely death
Death
Anuradha was lost to an attack of FalciparumPlasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite, one of the species of Plasmodium that cause malaria in humans. It is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria caused by this species is the most dangerous form of malaria, with the highest rates of complications and mortality...
Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
on April 12, 2008 . Systemic sclerosis, had weakened her immune system, leading to multiple organ failure, which was, among other things, responsible for her bad handwriting. During her final days, she had been training the women cadre to develop their leadership skills. It was during her stint in Jharkand, educating the tribals against oppression of women in their society, when she contracted cerebral malaria.